Hard to train?! I don't think so, their prey drive is usually so high, that using it to your advantage in training yields awesome results, just gotta know how to put that stubborness to good use! Then it's all a matter of proofing, and if the dog accepts you as alpha, how hard can that be? Trying to train one of these dogs with food/treats although is a big waste of time.

David and John
Difficult to train in regards to being distracted by other dogs, and stubborn <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> If someone doesn't know how to train or handle dogs they are going to have a beach of time getting the job done and they probably won't, probably will go about showing their Alpha status in the wrong way. Kathy I am not referring to you in anyway shape or form, you have 6 Akita's so I know bullheadedness. Good luck girl-keep us posted <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

I know bullheadness should say I know you know bullheadness. It's Monday what can I say

Bite training would be sorta easying for a PBT because they want to do that, once directed to the prey item but learning the "out" would be the problem because he doesn't want to do that.

A PBT is dynamite in a small package, or a headache. It's a very physical animal thats very agile as you well know. But I do think that you can't train them as you would a standard protection dog.

The intelligent test that was used testing repeating trained responce/trainabilty, the pitbull was ahead of the Akita, but not even in the top 20s.

Every dog is different though its my opinion you don't find that many exceptional PBT that can past up a chance to dog fight or past Ob trails.

David you are right PBT usually are not people aggressive, but you and I (maybe not I better not put words in your mouth) know people who owned PBT were so mean that on they could feed them, usually they have to end up neturalizing the animal, because it bit them.

This could happen with any dog, but PBT owners just seem to be more prone to this, machoism. As a young man I found out early that could get you hurt bad. The PBT terrier has almost become a symbol for the bad asses out there. No taking anything form the dog, it can back it up. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

I think one of the problems when discussing working ability among different breeds, is that we want to assume that the same training methods should work with all breeds, and therefore the breeds that learn the best with these methods are the most trainable. There are a few APBT breeders out there who are breeding for Sch, or the ringsports, and are producing some wonderfull dogs for the sports. It isn't fair to compare APBT who were not bred with these sports in mind to any working dogs - that would be the same as comparing American show line GSD's with working lines. Are all APBT which are bred for Sch going to do well? No, but neither are all the GSD or any other traditional Sch breeds. If you want to be on a podium at National Sch events, you are not going to want to take the chance with a APBT. But if you really like APBT and want to find one that will do Sch and do it well, it is a very viable option.

A friend of my has a pitbull mix. It is a mix of British pit bull terrier and American pit bull terrier. This dog stands 21" and the shoulder 106 lbs with a larg head. I have not met a sweater dog. I have seen this dog nures-maid day old kittens and not let any people at them. Once they where about two week old and he got tried of them climeing on him did he let other people around. Buddy(dogs name) is not agreessive at all. He will show intrest in other people and dogs but would rather chase a ball. I have never seen a dog(APBT) who liked to put his nose to the ground as much as this one. Would love to work The Flinks way of training with this dog. We have played with his rope just as they do in the video and he went wild for it. Was realy able to see how frustation help to biuld Drive. Could this dog so schutzhund work. Maybe. Maybe not. Buddy is hard headed and will test you at every turn. Has learn to tell when we use a pinch(prung) collar and a choke collar. He will pull you down the street if you give him a chance. Knows what sit, down, stay, and come. will listen if he thinks it is in his best intrest. Food works well. Still trying to get him used to heel. This is one great dog and hope other people get to see that they (Pittbull terriers) are capable dogs to. Once bad Owners and Wores Brearders are gone the dog MAYBE able to turn around. Look at what happened to the Dobie a few years back.

Don, Once again, you prove yourself to be an idiot and talk just to talk. No, I do not claim to be some expert but I do feel I have a little bit of experience with the APBT to offer an opinion. Our club has 8 of them and another local schutzhund club that I work with at times has another 4. These are just schutzhund dogs, I'm not mentioning the other ones I've worked with on a private basis or the ring sport dogs I've seen.

Before you start giving out info like you are the leading authority on pit bulls I'd like to have you rethink a few of your statements.

Why do you make such a general statements on people having to pick up their apbt's to control them. I'm sure somebody that doesn't know about training would probably attempt an act as such. Personally I've never even seen a technique as such applied. I train and hang out with trainers and we all know that the pit bull is a DOG. Not some T2 Terminator that is uncontrollable.

They do IN FACT posses abilities that the typical dog doesn't but they also do not posses other abilities that other dogs have. They are generally stable, social, intense, insensitive, highly driven, very athletic, animal aggressive animals. They have plenty of motivation to be able to be trained. Plenty of them do very good obedience (just to clear up your misconception).

You can train the APBT to OUT the same way you do any other breed. Effective training is effective training is effective training. You say the apbt does not want to OUT. Can you please tell me which dog does? So i can stay away from that crappy temperament.

I don't exactly worship the breed. I do think they have incredible capabilities.

Chris, most of this is a synopsis from the Pit Bull board, suppiled for research, here in this message stream.

Why don't "YOU" get off your knees praising these dogs and read? And stop this running gun game between us. I'm just reporting what the attitude was on that board, and this was a pro PBT board.

*** The dog owner stated, they have to pick the dog up to make it stop and it's was about to knock them over because of its thrashing while in hand due to its sure power.

I don't know why I even address you, You are so blind in your faith you don't even see the compliments that I give these animals. But I also see their faults which you do not, which mostly onwers like you that want to worship them. Their just dogs they are not demi-gods, get off you knees and see them for waht they are.

Also on this forum was "Pit bull type kills owner", "Pit bull type attacks young girl"
What is a true pitbull??? And then some sarcasm showing "Why you should not leave your child alone with a pit bull?" Very cute little 2 yr. old all over this Pit Bull and they both loving it.

Yes you are right no dog likes to out, especially one that is known to be hardheaded, stuborn and a clown. But you wrong in thinking (in my opinion) that they are as easily to train on average as the standard working breed dogs. This is just my opinion their room on this board for yours too.

Chris walk into the light, get off your knees raise up and cheer up. There are other dogs and things to see in life besides Pit Bulls. Tell yourself I need to go to work and stop calling people idiots for having difference in opinions. Not that it doesn't matters considering the source.

Of the 8 PBT that compete in SchH at your club how many GSD and Mals are there? Have you ever stop ask why????? STOP praising Chevy or Hitman.
Admittedly there are no GSD that chase hogs or pull 7000lbs of bricks. Why? Because there is serious work sometimes professional to be done somewhere else. Note the mail bomb sniffing squad for Post Office Airborne mail showed on CNN. And yes other dogs are being used, a pit bull could do someday when they grow up. Just messing with ya, put the knife down don't committ hari kari, your spirit won't haunt me. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Let me stop I'm bigger then that, (somebody has to be an adult) I am sorry that I posted negative stuff about your god, I mean your dog. Please find a way to forgive me. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Originally posted by Don B. Ackerson:

Of the 8 PBT that compete in SchH at your club how many GSD and Mals are there? Have you ever stop ask why????? We have 8 pits, 7 GSDs, 2 mals, 2 Bouviers, 2 american bulldogs, 2 rotties, 2 airdales, and a couple of Dobes. Not very common to see so many different breeds in one club but this is how our club is at the moment. Actually I have stopped and thought about why there are so many GSD's and Mals out there but I think the more important question is why can't more people handle other capable breeds?

Ok you have a very small Club, but the deverisity there does give you some input of the serveral different breeds. Most big clubs that produce competive city, state and nationals dogs, use GSD,DS and Mals because they pay the bills and bring home the bacon. I'm not saying your do not.

I respect your opinion being that you have a such a deverse background. You know what you are talking about when it comes to dogs, not respect for others opinions.

But I never said that the PBT was not a great dog and some what versitle. I blame all the problem with PTB on the breeding and owners lack of training/focus and this Macho toughest dog in the world image.

I thought how quaint a board (the PBT board) that mentions the positive and negative, but you could smell the hormones like walking into a sweating gym. The comments were from real PBT owners large and small, I assumed.

I'm not ragging on the dog its a good dog, if trained and care for. I'm mostly stating that I wish the owner would focus/find a purpose for the dog besides an ornament of his strength or lack of.

I'm glad you went to work, did you bath before you went in? You did come into the light and recognized others opinion as just that, we all have one. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

By the way, don't wear the white worshiping robe to work they may call security thinking its a Jihad!

I hope you think thats funny, Its good chatting with you. Maybe you can shed a little light of dogs in your club, How many of each are ready for trails? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />